SOHN – RENNEN – 4AD

ALBUMS / MAINSTREAM / DANCE
Since his debut album, SOHN has got married and become a father – and has also relocated to Los Angeles, perhaps a sign of his growing stature as a songwriter. ‘Rennen’ (German for ‘Runner’) bears out that standing, the result of some feverish late night recording sessions in California. The opening two electro pop bangers, ‘Hard Liquor’ and ‘Conrad’, are big room floor fillers with great choruses, but after that the album retreats into its shell a bit more, and we get a more personal approach. With his voice heavily treated the feeling is clear but also remote, and the music doesn’t connect with the listener as well as it might, despite a catchy hook or two. Towards the end of the album the balance between up and down tempo improves, and ‘Harbour’ is a great closing track that restores the connection fully. SOHN is a fine songwriter, and in demand too – but while ‘Rennen’ shows just how good he can be, it does feel like a less consistent collection of singles and album tracks. Still – well worth hearing for those first two crackers.Ben Hogwood
3 out of 5